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au·ger (ôgər)
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n.
1.
a. Any of various hand tools, typically having a threaded shank and cross handle, used for boring holes in wood or ice.
b. A drill bit.
2.
a. A machine having a helical flange attached to a rotating shaft, used for drilling and boring or as a conveyor of loose material.
b. The rotating shaft and flange of such a machine, considered as a single unit.
tr.v. au·gered, au·ger·ing, au·gers
To drill, bore, or convey using an auger.
Phrasal Verb:
auger in
1. To descend out of control and crash. Used of aircraft and pilots.
2. To pay close attention or direct one's energy; concentrate or focus: Let's auger in on the highest priorities.
[Middle English, from an auger, alteration of a nauger, from Old English nafogār, auger; see nobh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
(click for a larger image)
auger
ice auger
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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